Indirect Restorations for Increasing the Vertical Dimension of Occlusion

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Restorative Dentistry

Background:

• Severe tooth wear can result from conditions like bulimia nervosa and bruxism.
• Restoring the vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) is crucial for function and aesthetics.
• Minimal invasive approaches are preferred in modern restorative dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a clinical case of restoring erosive tooth wear.
• To demonstrate the use of defect-oriented posterior onlays and anterior veneers.
• To highlight minimal invasive treatment for restoring VDO.

Main Methods:

• A 44-year-old female with a history of bulimia nervosa and bruxism underwent treatment.
• Three months of functional therapy with a Michigan splint preceded rehabilitation.
• Full mouth prosthetic rehabilitation involved a 1mm VDO increase, using thin lithium disilicate ceramic restorations (veneers for anterior, monolithic for posterior teeth).

Main Results:

• The patient desired improved aesthetics and function due to worn dentition.
• Diagnostic phase indicated full mouth prosthetic rehabilitation.
• Veneered lithium disilicate (0.3-0.5mm) for incisors and monolithic lithium disilicate (0.8-1.0mm) for posterior teeth were utilized.

Conclusions:

• Functional and aesthetic rehabilitation of severely worn teeth is achievable with minimal invasive, defect-oriented indirect lithium disilicate ceramic restorations.
• Restoring the VDO to its original state was successfully accomplished.
• Indirect, minimal invasive lithium disilicate ceramic restorations are effective for severe dental erosions.